The idea is that by friends clubbing together a worthwhile antique or painting can be bought as a gift. Once instructed by the engaged couple, LAPADA hold their names and the wedding date so anyone can ring through pledging an amount with a credit/debit card or a cheque payable to the association.
A date will then be chosen by the couple upon which LAPADA send vouchers to the value received, less a small administrative charge, along with a list of donors and (at the donor’s discretion) the amounts.
The vouchers can then be redeemed as payment or part-payment for any item of stock from members’ shops or stands at major fairs.
In denominations of £50 and £100, vouchers can also be bought as gifts for other occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries.
This move follows a recent LAPADA initiative at their London fair where selected items of stock were dressed with a green ribbon to denote a price under £2000 and an ideal piece upon which to base a collection. Both moves are in keeping with new chief executive John Newgas’s aim to be proactive in attracting new buyers.
LAPADA aim for wedding list market
LAPADA, the UK’s largest dealer association, have launched the LAPADA Wedding Present Service in a bid to boost business for their more than 700 members.